Design-Build — Design & Construction, One Team
Design-build with Architects Afrique: one accountable team designs and builds your project — single responsibility, tighter cost and programme control, and the design intent protected all the way to the finished building. Architect-led, registered, since 1984. Book a design consultation.
Design-build means one accountable team designs your project and builds it — so there is no gap between the drawing and the site, and no contractor and architect blaming each other when something goes wrong. Architects Afrique is architect-led design-build: we hold the design intent and the construction reality together, from first brief to finished building. A registered, process-led practice since 1984. Book a design consultation: +233 23 063 0038.
Why Clients Choose Architects Afrique for Design-Build
One Team, One Responsibility
You appoint one team for both the design and the construction, so there is a single point of accountability. No splitting blame between architect and contractor — the people who drew it are the people who build it.
Tighter Cost & Programme Control
Because design and construction sit together, the design is kept priced and buildable as it develops. The final building cost still comes from a Bill of Quantities once the design is set, but buildability and budget are in the room from day one — fewer surprises, fewer reworks.
Design Intent Protected to the End
The intent you approved at concept is carried through to site by the same team, so the finished building looks and works like the design you signed off — not a diluted version a separate contractor reinterpreted.
Built for the Diaspora
Designing and building from abroad? We run the brief and reviews by video, handle the permit, and manage the build under one team with progress reporting — design-build from the diaspora without the back-and-forth.
What Design-Build Covers
| Project | What we deliver, one team |
|---|---|
| Homes & residential | Design through to a finished, handed-over home under one accountable team |
| Commercial & mixed-use | Designed, permitted, and built — single responsibility, tighter programme |
| Institutional & civic | Compliant design and construction managed end-to-end |
| Estates & signature commissions | Concept to completion with design intent protected throughout |
How Design-Build Works With Us
- Brief, budget & feasibility — what you want, the site, and what the budget can realistically deliver.
- Concept & design within the budget — designed and developed while kept priced and buildable.
- Permit drawings & construction documentation — approvable, then turned into a BoQ and a programme.
- We build it — the same team that designed it manages trades, materials, quality, and the schedule.
- Handover & stewardship — a finished, compliant building, with responsibility held throughout.
What It Costs — Honestly
In design-build there are two things to agree. The architect’s design fee is normally a percentage of the construction cost (the GIA publishes a fee scale as guidance) or a staged fee for the design work, agreed up front so it is a known cost. The building cost itself comes from a Bill of Quantities once the design is set — a real BoQ, not a blog estimate. We agree the scope and the basis with you before you commit. No guessed numbers.
Registered & Accountable
- Works within the Architects Act 1969 (NLCD 357) and the Architects Registration Council / Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA)
- Registered engineering input (GhIE) where required; quantity-surveying / BoQ within the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) framework
- Designs and builds to L.I. 1630 and the Ghana Building Code (GS 1207:2018); building-permit drawings and EPA permitting (L.I. 1652) handled as part of the service
- Established 1984 — a real practice with a portfolio, shared on request
Design-Build Across Greater Accra & Beyond
We design and build across East Legon, Airport Residential, Cantonments, Trasacco, Ridge, Labone, Spintex, and Tema — plus Kumasi, Takoradi, and Lomé, Togo. Diaspora clients design and build with us remotely with full progress reporting.
Togo — Design-Build in Lomé
We deliver design-build in Lomé and across Togo. The building-permit process there (the permis de construire) is run by the local authorities and, in Grand Lomé, is fully online — and the permit application must be submitted by an architect registered with ONATO (Ordre National des Architectes du Togo). As an architect-led team, we carry the design, the permit, and the construction under one responsibility for Togo projects too.
Areas We Serve
Architects Afrique delivers design-build across Greater Accra — East Legon, Airport Residential, Cantonments, Trasacco, Ridge, Labone, Spintex, Tema — plus Kumasi, Takoradi, and Lomé, Togo.
Related Services
- Architects in Ghana — design and design-build, end to end
- Architectural & Construction Integration — design through to build
- Architecture Fees & Process in Ghana — how fees and the design process work
- Decade-Warranty Architecture — long-term stewardship after handover
Frequently Asked Questions
What is design-build? One accountable team both designs and builds your project — a single point of responsibility, no gap between the drawing and the site.
Does design-build give me better cost control? Yes — design is kept priced and buildable as it develops; the final building cost still comes from a BoQ once the design is set, but with fewer surprises.
Can I still approve the design before you build? Yes — concept, developed design, and permit drawings are all approved by you; design-build just keeps the same team through to construction.
Can you deliver design-build while I live abroad? Yes — video briefs and reviews, permit handled, build managed with progress reporting, under one team.